The transgender life: What to know, say and understand – CNN.com

Elizabeth (Beth) has been a member of the board of directors at Free2Be for several years and currently serves as our Chair. We are very proud of her contributions as an advocate for the Transgender community.

“Elizabeth Crankshaw, who was born a male but identifies as a woman, said it’s also OK to “say you don’t understand, because how could you? You’d have to be trans to get it.”

Crankshaw grew up in the 1970s when there was no commonly parsed language about being transgender. She was married and came out first to her ex-wife and then to her sister.

“It was terrifying. I had so much anxiety,” she recalled. “You have to think of the worst things that could happen. How will my employer will react? Will I lose my job? Will my co-workers treat me differently?”

If a transgender person is renting a home, she added, they could be afraid of backlash from a landlord.”